The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, he said, adding that thick smoke had engulfed the building, necessitating the rescue operation.

Eight people suffered from smoke inhalation, according to reports.

The firefighting operation ended and the building was rendered safe at 02:00 a.m. local time on Sunday (10:30 GMT Saturday).

Last February, a fire broke out at one of the buildings of Iran’s Energy Ministry in downtown Tehran. The incident that took place in the nearby Vali-e-Asr Street led to injuries, but no fatalities.

Iran witnessed its most disastrous fire in January 2017, when the 17-story Plasco building, an iconic commercial building and the country’s oldest high-rise, collapsed following an inferno. The blaze, which had been sparked by an electrical short circuit at the ninth floor, killed more than 20 people, mostly firefighters.